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Edmonton to be without pro baseball for a second consecutive season after Capitals unable to land a home for 2013http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/02/14/edmonton-to-be-without-pro-baseball-for-a-second-consecutive-season-after-capitals-unable-to-land-a-home-for-2013/
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/02/14/edmonton-to-be-without-pro-baseball-for-a-second-consecutive-season-after-capitals-unable-to-land-a-home-for-2013/#commentsThu, 14 Feb 2013 17:37:30 +0000http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/?p=150953Telus Field is in for another summer without professional baseball.

After a winter with little in the way of news regarding pro baseball’s future in Edmonton, Darryl Porter – vice president of the league-less Capitals baseball club – will address …

]]>Telus Field is in for another summer without professional baseball.

After a winter with little in the way of news regarding pro baseball’s future in Edmonton, Darryl Porter – vice president of the league-less Capitals baseball club – will address the issue today at Rexall Place at 1 p.m.

Porter will officially announce the Capitals continued suspension of operations for the 2013 season, after failing to find a new home. The team suspended operations a year ago, sitting out the 2012 season, following the collapse of the Cap’s former home the North American Baseball League, which fell apart after the team’s 2011 league championship.

As was the case last season, the Edmonton Prospects of the Western Major Baseball League are expected to call Telus Field home this season, while the Capitals continue their search for a new league, with the hopes of playing in 2014.

While the news does mean the Caps aren’t permanently throwing in the towel on finding a new league, it nonetheless marks a serious disappointment to fans who were holding out hope that pro ball would return to Telus Field this year.

Making sure the Caps find a sustainable, long term home has been among Porter’s top priorities since taking on the task of charting a new course for pro baseball after the NABL’s demise.

Despite Thursday being another bad news day for baseball fans, the news isn’t coming entirely out of left field, after Porter hinted that the Caps returning in 2013 was looking increasingly like a long shot heading into the New Year.

“We’re looking at a few different options, and we’re still analyzing them. Definitely the time is getting short now to play this next summer, but we haven’t totally given up on that yet. If that time does pass, then we probably won’t play again this summer, and then, we’d absolutely want to get back in it the following summer,” Porter said at the time. “It’s all about sustainability. At the end of the day, we don’t want to go into a league like we did last time.”

The issues of finding a stable league, negotiating a long term lease agreement with the city for Telus Field and working towards having teams in nearby markets, remain the key hurdles to professional baseball’s return and longterm viability in the city.

Here’s a quick timeline of pro baseball in Edmonton:

1981: The Pacific Coast League comes to Edmonton, after former Oilers owner Peter Pocklington buys the Ogden A’s for an undisclosed amount. The Trappers are born in a move Pocklington characterized as “a good deal.” The team goes 62-74 in their inaugural season north of the border.

1982: Slugging left fielder Ron Kittle puts together arguably the greatest season in Trappers history, belting 50 home runs. Kittle would go onto play for Edmonton’s major league affiliate at the time the Chicago White Sox in 1983, where he was an all-star and earned American League rookie of the year honours.

1984: Edmonton adds baseball to its City of Champions resume, as the Trappers win the Pacific Coast League title. The team becomes the first Canadian team to win the championship in the league’s 82-season history up to that point.

1995: The Trappers moved into their new home, Telus Field. The 10,000 seat facility was seen as a way to ensure AAA baseball’s long term viability in the city and replaced the 60-year-old John Ducey Park.

1995-1998: The Oakland Athletics begin their affiliation with the Trappers starting with the 1995 season, kicking off a period that sees the team enjoy its greatest success on the field. Edmonton wins back-to-back PCL titles in 1996 and 1997, before the A’s shipped their affiliation to Sacramento.

2002: Edmonton, the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins at the time, secures its fourth and what turns out to be final PCL title. The Trappers downed the Anaheim Angels’ affiliate the Salt Lake Bees 3-1 in the best-of-five series.

2003: The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, owners of the Trappers at the time, sell the franchise to a group led by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. The Ryan group announces its intentions to move the team to Round Rock, Texas for the 2005 season.

2004: The Trappers play their final season in Edmonton before moving to Texas, where they remain to this day as the Round Rock Express.

2005: Florida businessman Dan Orlich brings independent pro ball to town with the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, who join the Northern League as an expansion franchise for the 2005 season.

2007: After three seasons in the now defunct Northern League, the Cats announced a jump to the Golden Baseball League in the fall of 2007. They began play in the GBL, which is also no more, in 2008.

2009: Oilers owner Daryl Katz buys the Cracker-Cats for $400,000 in February of 2009 and subsequently renames the franchise the Capitals, as the franchise looks to erase the missteps of the Cracker-Cats, who failed to capture the imagination of both casual and hardcore baseball fan alike.

2011: The Caps complete what would end up being their lone season in the newly formed North American Baseball League, winning the league title over a hodge podge assortment of players from various NABL teams, playing as the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings.

2012/2013: In February the Caps announce they’re suspending operations for the 2012 season after the NABL collapses. Nearly a year later the team announces it’s sitting out yet another season, as they search for a suitable home long term.

]]>http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/02/14/edmonton-to-be-without-pro-baseball-for-a-second-consecutive-season-after-capitals-unable-to-land-a-home-for-2013/feed/0Telus Fieldedaum7If the Edmonton Prospects move into Telus Field 825 is their secret numberhttp://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/24/if-the-edmonton-prospects-move-into-telus-825-is-their-secret-number/
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/24/if-the-edmonton-prospects-move-into-telus-825-is-their-secret-number/#commentsFri, 24 Feb 2012 20:34:24 +0000http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/?p=110704The way I see it is simple: the Edmonton Prospects need to sell 825 season tickets before they make a serious move to Telus Field.

Since Tuesday’s Edmonton Capital announcement of suspending the 2012 baseball season, the Prospects have been …

]]>The way I see it is simple: the Edmonton Prospects need to sell 825 season tickets before they make a serious move to Telus Field.

Since Tuesday’s Edmonton Capital announcement of suspending the 2012 baseball season, the Prospects have been hot on the trail, expressing desires to play in Telus Field. In fact, mere hours after the Capitals made the announcement, the Prospects sent out a press release, claiming it was revealing their new website.

But their subtle hint of playing at Telus Field seemed a little insensitive, considering the patient was in still in the ambulance.

Let’s get back to the magic number of 825.

Telus Field is the second largest Canadian baseball stadium with a seating capacity of 9,055.

Prospect GM Tracy Neumann says the team averaged 80 people per game in their home stadium of John Fry Park.

So let’s say the Prospects could fill 10 per cent of Telus Field, or 905 seats — which would be darn impressive.

The number for the Prospects to reach 10 per cent of Telus seating capacity, based on their current fan base is 825.

“It could be good for the Prospects under the right circumstances but it might be better for Edmonton baseball fans who look to Telus Field each year for their baseball fix,” Neuman said in an e-mail.

“At this time, these are all hypothetical scenario’s and I think it might be best to wait and see how this plays out.”

Neumann think there is market for college baseball.

“Absolutely,” Nuemann emails.

“We offer a fantastic product. The Western Major Baseball League brings in top players from all over North America. These are young, up-and-coming players that are often drafted into the Majors.”

She goes on to say a Prospect game is great family entertainment at an affordable price .

Discussions are planned in the next week or two with the Capitals on the potential move.

Telus Field has a lot of seats.

The baseball and the prices can be some of the best in the country, but if several thousand seats are empty can be overwhelming to look at.

Also, to be considered is the how a team feels to be playing against small crowds in a big stadium.

Obviously, there’s much work to be done before the Prospects move into the home team clubhouse at Telus Field.

Because a family of four shouldn’t move into a 24-bedroom mansion just because it is available … unless, of course, the family has plans to expand.

]]>http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/24/if-the-edmonton-prospects-move-into-telus-825-is-their-secret-number/feed/0camtaitCapital announcement shock to skipperhttp://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/21/capital-announcement-shock-to-skipper/
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/02/21/capital-announcement-shock-to-skipper/#commentsWed, 22 Feb 2012 05:12:12 +0000http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/?p=110230Orv Franchuk has always had somewhere to go in the summer for the almost three decades: the baseball park.

“I have nowhere to go now,” Franchuk said Tuesday afternoon from Arizona.

“My wife won’t know what to do with me …

]]>Orv Franchuk has always had somewhere to go in the summer for the almost three decades: the baseball park.

“I have nowhere to go now,” Franchuk said Tuesday afternoon from Arizona.

“My wife won’t know what to do with me now. She might kick me out of the house.”

Franchuk made the comments following the announcement the team he manages — the Edmonton Capitals — will not be operational this summer.

That, itself, is a good indication Tuesday’s announcement came from somewhere from left field — perhaps, even as far as EPCOR land which sits south of Telus Field.

And while it’s understandable the Capitals did not want to be part of a four-team North American Baseball League, the news is very disappointing.

Throughout last season, Franchuk talked about how happy he was to be in Edmonton, running his own club, creating a culture where players wanted to come to.

He did everything the Capital management asked him, including winning a championship.

“I am still on contract,” said Franchuk, who would be entering the second year of his two-year deal.

“I will be working with management to help them with their vision.”

Franchuk is planning to be in Edmonton in early March for meetings.

The announcement Tuesday prolongs the absence of good, professional baseball that began in 2004 when the Edmonton Trappers left town.

It was, quite simply, a money grab for the Edmonton Eskimos who owned the Trappers, Pacific Coast League members.

Baseball fans in Edmonton suffered through the Northern League and the Golden League who, somehow, managed to keep and the goofy Edmonton Cracker-Cats going.

When Rexall Sports Entertainment took over the keys in 2009, some local baseball fans looked to the Oilers as saviors.

And, to a point, they were.

Perhaps the real villain in this story is independent baseball and its unethical ways.

Even during the NABL championship final last September between the Capitals and Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, several things didn’t feel right: all the games were played in Edmonton to cut travel costs; several of the WhiteWing players were picked up from other teams, and … well, you get my drift.

Did it cheapen the taste of champagne the Franchuk and the rest of the team sipped in their clubhouse after they won it all in Game 5?

At the time, not really. Because when you win nothing else matters.

Still, Franchuk must have felt like he built a solid foundation.

And now that foundation has to stand, unguarded, for a year before it can be added to.

The Capitals say they are going to use the 2012 season to find a league to play in.

We often hear the saying “for the love” of the game, but seldom do we see it in action.

This year’s version of the Capitals was a perfect example of players choosing to play in Edmonton for the love of

…

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We often hear the saying “for the love” of the game, but seldom do we see it in action.

This year’s version of the Capitals was a perfect example of players choosing to play in Edmonton for the love of baseball. Their crowning glory came Tuesday night at Telus Field when they became North American Baseball League champions after winning the best-ofseven final in five games over the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings.

The Capitals, who are owned by the Edmonton Oilers, stabilized the franchise after taking over the ownership of the independent baseball team, which was previously called the Cracker-Cats, from Dan Orlich. In a trio of summers, the Capitals not only won a league championship but created a culture where players want to play in Edmonton.

It comes from the top, starting with manager Orv Franchuk. At age 66, he turned down two offers to be a major league team’s minor league hitting co-ordinator in order to be the manager of his own team. With strong roots in Wandering River and Lac La Biche, Edmonton seemed like the logical – and, perhaps, the only – choice.

The championship in his first season with the Capitals is something Franchuk said is now a major highlight of his life.

But here’s the point: Money, fame nor fortune mattered. Franchuk took the job because he loves the game in a community he knows well.

His example echoed through the Capitals clubhouse, where the players assembled Wednesday one last time to pack up their things before going home; the majority of them heading to the United States to rejoin their young families.

Unlike previous teams, which had a revolving door with new players almost daily, Franchuk kept to a set roster throughout the season, creating a strong team bond.

Look no further than infielder Matt Rogelstad, who is graduating this December from York College in Pennsylvania. Rogelstad has already missed two weeks of classes because of the Capitals’ playoff success. One of his most important classes began Monday night.

After Edmonton lost Game 4 on Sunday, Rogelstad left for the airport at 3: 15 a.m. Monday morning for a flight to Chicago and then caught a connecting flight to Baltimore. He rented a car and made the hour drive to the college for class Monday evening.

Then, on Tuesday, his 29th birthday, Rogelstad was up at 4 a.m., to catch an 8 a.m. flight out of Baltimore. But there was a mechanical issue and the aircraft returned to the gate for an hour delay.

Frustrated because he wouldn’t be able to get to Edmonton until 8: 30 p.m., Rogelstad checked around and found a flight from a different Washington-area airport to Toronto, but it meant taking a cab from the Baltimore Washington International Airport. After landing in Toronto, he had 45 minutes to clear customs and catch his connecting flight to Edmonton.

Rogelstad made it to the Capitals clubhouse at 5: 45 p.m. and was in the starting lineup. He had two hits in Tuesday’s championship-clinching victory.

LOU ON TUESDAY: Veteran pitcher Lou Pote, who is retiring at the end of the season, will get the start on Tuesday for Game 5…the 40-year-old, who had a solid performance in Game 1, was throwing in …

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LOU ON TUESDAY: Veteran pitcher Lou Pote, who is retiring at the end of the season, will get the start on Tuesday for Game 5…the 40-year-old, who had a solid performance in Game 1, was throwing in the bull pen shortly after Sunday’s loss.

MR. AIR MILES: Caps’ infielder Matt Roglestad is flying to Washington, D.C. Monday morning to register for his final year of accounting at York College..he is returning to Edmonton Monday night and is scheduled to play Tuesday.

FATHER OF THE BRIDE: Caps’ hitting coach and director of baseball operations Gord Gerlach was away for Games 3 and 4 attending his daughter Lisa’s wedding in Kelowna B.C….Gerlach, who coaches first base, is due back in Edmonton Monday morning.

OFF TO THE MOUNTAINS: WhiteWings owner Byron Peirce says several players were talking about driving to Jasper Monday to have a look at the mountains…none of the WhiteWing players have seen the Canadian Rockies.

]]>http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/09/03/live-blog-caps-vs-vipers-series-tied-2-2/feed/0camtaitlouCaps vs. Vipers – Telus Field – TOP OF THE NINTH INNING – GAME 2 OF NORTH AMERICAN NORTH FINAL (Vipers lead best-of-seven series 1-0)http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/08/31/caps-vs-vipers-telus-field/
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/08/31/caps-vs-vipers-telus-field/#commentsThu, 01 Sep 2011 01:10:41 +0000http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/?p=87295The Caps had a 7-4 lead going into the eighth inning when this happened for Calgary at bat…

RF Lino Garcia = STRIKES OUT (1)

LF Drew Miller = FLIES OUT TO SECOND ((2))

C Al Quintana – STRIKES OUT.…

]]>The Caps had a 7-4 lead going into the eighth inning when this happened for Calgary at bat…

RF Lino Garcia = STRIKES OUT (1)

LF Drew Miller = FLIES OUT TO SECOND ((2))

C Al Quintana – STRIKES OUT.

—————

After a 1-2-3 inning, here’s what happened in the bottom of the sixth

CAPS

3B Enrique Cruz – STIKES OUT (1)

RF Todd Linden – SOLO HOME RUN OVER LEFT FIELD FENCE

LF Brent Metheny – BUNTS OUT TO PITCHER (2)

C J.D. Closser – DOUBLE TO CENTRE FIELDD

1B Lou Santangelo – SINGLE TO CENTRE FIELD

RBI: CLOSSER

CF Steve Brown – WALKS

SANTAGELO ADVANCES TO SECOND

PASSSED BALL – RUNNERS ADVANCED

SS Rex Rundgren – WALKS

P Jorge Vasquez – STRIKES OUT (3)

CAPS 7, VIPERS 4

————————————————————————-

The Caps in the fifth

C J.D. Closser – WALKS

1B Lou Santangelo – FLIED TO LEFT FIELD, (1)

CF Steve Brown – SINGLES TO RIGHT FIELD

CLOSSER ADVANCES TO SECOND BASE

SS Rex Rundgren – DOUBLE INTO RIGHT

CLOSSER SCORES, TIES GAME 4-4

PINCH HITTER: Carlos Duncan – GROUNDS OUT TO THIRD (2)

RUNDGREN SCORES , 5-4 CAPS

(new Viper pitcher Daniel Morairi)

2B Matt Roglestad – FLIES OUT TO RIGHT FIELD. (3)

After the Vipers scored three runs in the fourth inning, here’s what happened in the bottom of the fourth.

CAPS BOTTOM OF FOUR

CF Steve Brown – SINGLE TO LEFT FIELD

SS Rex Rundgren – SINGLE TO CENTRE FIELD

BROWN ADVANCES TO SECOND BASE

P Brandon Villafuertf – BUNTS OUT TO PITCHER.

BOTH RUNNERS ADVANCE

2B Matt Roglestad – SAC FLY TO RIGHT (2)

BROWN SCORES FIRST CAPITAL RUN

3B Enrique Cruz = SINGLE UP THE MIDDLE

RBI: RUNGREN SCORES

RF Todd Linden – SINGLE UP THE MIDDLE

CRUZ ADVANCES TO THID

LF Brent Methany – FLIED OUT TO CENTRE (3)

CRUZ SCORES ON WILD PITCH

So, at the end of four complete innings….

VIPERS 4 CAPS 3

—————————

BOTTOM OF THIRD

CAPITALS

3B Erique Cruz – STRIKE OUT (1)

RF Todd Linden – SINGLED TO RIGHT FIELD

LF Brent Methany – LINE DRIVE TO SECOND. LINDEN IS OUT ON FORCE PLAY BUT METHANY IS SAFE (2)